Google Drive vs. Dropbox Comparison 2020
There are many different ways to store information online or share it with others. Services like Google Drive and Dropbox are popular options that are also convenient for easily sharing large files that you won't be able to put in the email. If you're wondering which one is better, don't guess. We have already compared the two storage services for you and aggregate the results.
Both Dropbox and Google Drive provide free storage for those who want to try their own services before spending a few dollars a month for something a little more spacious and durable. Google Drive comes as a standard feature, with 15GB of free space, which is much more than Dropbox's initial free storage offering of just 2GB.
Although this gives Google a standout in this section, Dropbox offers several ways to increase free storage space. Basic (free) accounts can earn an additional 500MB of storage space for each friend or family member referred to the service, up to 16GB. Users can also write a short message about why they are enjoying Dropbox to get 125MB for free.
While the additional gained storage results in Dropbox providing more free space than Google Drive, referring groups of friends are no simple task. In today's world, in particular, most people who want cloud storage actually own it. It's nice that Dropbox has this option, but the free Google Drive storage is ultimately the best.
If you want to store anything over a few GB, it doesn't matter which cloud storage solution you choose: you will have to pay for it. Both Google Drive and Dropbox offer premium subscription services, which give you a lot more storage space to work with. The question is, which one has the best packages out there?
Dropbox can sync files across multiple devices and operating systems, including all major desktop and mobile devices. With Cloud ware’s breakdown in comparison, Linux support and "smart sync" set Dropbox apart from the competition, meaning that only changes are synced, not the entire file or folder.
In comparison, Google Drive Sync supports many devices and operating systems, although it does not support Linux originally. There are a few solutions to do this, but it's not an officially supported file sync platform. Although it allows you to select specific files to sync, it does not support syncing file changes, often called "block-level" sync. This means that it needs to re-upload or download entire files to sync them.
Share files
File sharing is of the utmost importance to many cloud storage clients, as it makes it much easier to send large files or folders to groups of people.
Google Drive lets you share files and folders using the mobile app or in a web browser interface, with direct links, or the option to access email to the trusted sharing partner. It also provides an opportunity to grant viewing and editing permissions to those you share with, letting you customize the power they have. The only downside is that without passwords or expiration dates on these links, it poses a potential security issue if you don't move the shared files or folders in the future.
Dropbox offers the same amount of flexibility as you can set shared folders and files. However, professional and business account holders can set passwords and expiration dates on the links, which helps protect your data in the long run. You can also set editing permissions for users. Its display feature is a nice touch also for pro users, allowing them to create portfolio pages using Dropbox media.
The Dropbox share page also makes it easy to see which folders and files you've made others access to. Ultimately, combined with better security protection for user data, makes Dropbox a better choice.
External support and productivity options
Google Drive can quickly save and store Gmail attachments, dual photos stored with Google Photos, and facilitate collaboration with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. The Chrome Web browser Store has more than 100 third-party apps for having compatibility with Google Drive.
Personal users can enjoy a partnership with Microsoft that sees Office documents open and edit from within Dropbox itself, making collaboration easier. Professional users get unlimited API access to security, productivity, and data transfer partners to help build their unique solutions based on their business requirements.
Additionally, Dropbox has added its apps over the years to compete with Google more directly. This includes Dropbox Spaces for group collaboration, Dropbox Paper for creating content, and Dropbox Transfer for securely sending large files.
Dropbox has come a long way here and again becoming more suited to complex or enterprise-level businesses. However, it is also very convenient for Google to keep everything in the Google family. It depends on what you need.
Security and privacy
In a world of post-Snow-den discoveries and regular piracy of large enterprises, making sure your remote data is protected and your privacy is a key consideration for many cloud storage clients.
For its part, Dropbox encrypts your data to AES 128-bit while files are in motion, and then to AES 256-bit when inactive. It also provides two-factor authentication to decrypt files, to prevent unauthorized users from accessing them. Paying clients can also wipe sync files remotely in case they lose a related device. Rolling back allows you to replace updated files for different periods of time depending on your package, which provides a measure of protection against ransom ware.
Google Drive offers comparable security features, although it uses 256-bit AES encryption for files in transit and 128-bit AES encryption while in sleep. It also supports two-factor authentication and Cloud Identity features for businesses. The drive meets standards like ISO 27017, PCI DSS, Fed RAM, FISC Compliance, and more.
Meanwhile, Dropbox also meets many security and privacy standards, but it is slightly higher than the EU / US. Certifications and hosting data in Europe. They are also more forthcoming in dealing with extremely broad government data requests, although they cannot guarantee that no particular request will be met.
Overall, Google Drive has very little progress here due to its openness and clarity about the number of certifications it meets, both locally and internationally. Dropbox has its own data specialties, especially for companies operating in Europe. Work closely with support to find out more information from either service. Dropbox wins the narrow race
It's not surprising that both Google Drive and Dropbox have competition but are excellent cloud storage providers. Although both platforms offer premium services that are paid and free, Dropbox has always been a winner.
However, there are some instances where Google Drive might better serve your needs. If you only have a few files or given a trial copy of cloud backup, Google Drive is our first recommendation as its free version is better than Dropbox. Google Drive is also a better option for users who are familiar with the Google OS. However, Dropbox does super service for everyone else.
In addition to Dropbox's additional offerings to enterprise-level users, it features improved password control for shared links and an unlimited mass storage package.